Cursed Hearts | ATEEZ

035 STOMP ME OUT

When I awoke to the sixth trial, I was less surprised than I had been previously, having counted the days as they passed and tried to understand the patterns of when and where I would go to sleep and then find myself somewhere else when I woke up. This time, it was once again to a world of unbearable heat.

I squinted through thick lashes and missed at the bright sun rays that burned down on me; white-hot and strong enough to the point where they were almost blinding, as I struggled to get up from my spot on the ground, hands sinking into scorching hot sand which made me furrow my brows in confusion.

As I got to my feet, I held up a hand in front of me in an attempt to block out the sun which I had come to hate during the last couple of weeks, months. I resented it for its brutality, for its constants presence. I resented it for the sacrifices it claimed on The Solstices, and, at the same time, for making me feel like I was being punished for something I hadn't done, something I had been dragged into.

A soft gasp of mixed surprise and awe slipped past my chapped lips as I finally managed to block out the light and see my surroundings clearly, making me take a step back in pure wonder, my feet sinking into the sand beneath me, as I stared up at the enormous pyramid in front of me.

The sound of a cough from somewhere behind me made me jump slightly as I whipped my head around to see the eight other contestants and champions scattered across the sandy dunes, some of them staggering to their feet, some barely awake, as the familiar voice of Kim Namjoon rang across the golden desert.

"Welcome to the sixth of the Trials of The Eight Mountains, dear contestants, and champions! And welcome to Sector 6, Cairo." I swallowed thickly as the blazing hot landscape fell quiet for a second, taking an unsure step back as Wonho, the biggest of all the champions, got to his feet and turned to me. It had been tense between both contestants and champions after the last trial. Mumbles and curses had been thrown at each other in the hallways and glares had clung to backs like daggers.

I wanted to put as much distance between myself and the others as possible today, I told myself, biting my lip as I let my gaze fall to the ground, to the golden sand by my feet. After Jackson and Kai, and nearly having lost my life twice, I had no intention of making myself more of a target than I already was.

"The spectacle in front of you is the Giza Pyramid Complex or the Giza Necropolis, if you will, consisting of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Today's trial might begin in the light but the answers you will need to succeed will be found in the darkness as some things can only be seen in the shadows. Do not fear though; some hide, but others reveal."

I turned my back to the others, Taeyong as well, an unexplainable feeling of heaviness in my heart as I quickly glimpsed at the copper-haired male, and let my gaze come to rest on the biggest of the three pyramids in front of us. "The Great Pyramid of Giza," the announcer continued, "The oldest of the three, is where you will both find and complete today's quest."

I ran a hand through my hair in an attempt to smooth out the knots, ruffling it slightly which caused sand to fall into my face, as the blue-haired male made a dramatic pause before announcing the clues and warnings that always left an eerie chill down my back.

"The challenges you will face today are different from those of the past two months. You must find your way in the shadows, walk in the darkness so that you can once again see the light. As always, a golden key will be needed to succeed and make it to the goal; one that you will have to earn. Today, only the truth, the correct answers, will be accepted as payment. I advise you to rely on knowledge, intelligence, rather than strength."